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Archangel-class
The Archangel-class is a general purpose ship class developed by Morgenroete for the Earth Alliance Forces as a new prototype warship. The first christened ship of this class, debuting on 25 January, C.E. 71 at Heliopolis, was entitled by its namesake, the LCAM-01XA Archangel. Later, on 18 June, C.E. 71, the second ship of this class was created and given the name LCAM-01XB Dominion. Special Equipment & Features ;*'Ablative Gel' :As a protoype ship, the Archangel-class is equipped with several unique and new features. One such feature is an ablative gel, which can be released by the ship during atmospheric reentry to absorb heat. ;*Anti-Beam Depth Charges :For additional defence, the ship can fire anti-beam depth charges, which release clouds of beam-absorbing particles. ;*Laminated Armor :The armor of the Archangel-class is made up of laminated armor, which dissipates the heat of beam weapons across the whole hull, granting the ship an incredible defense against beam weapon fire. Armaments ;*"Lohengrin" Positron Blaster Cannon :The most powerful weapon of the Archangel-class are two "Lohengrin" positron blaster guns (literally "Knight of Swan", named after Richard Wagner's opera of the same name), which are retractable and mounted inside the two front "legs" of the ship, directly below the hangars. ;*"Gottfried Mk.71" 225 cm High-Energy Beam Cannons :The only other beam weapons carried by Archangel-class ships are two "Gottfried Mk.71" 225cm high-energy beam cannons, which, like the ones of the Izumo-class ships, can move into several positions. As with the positron gun the beam guns are retractable and mounted on top of the two "legs", thus providing defense capabilities while mobile suits are launched. ;*"Igelstellung" 75mm Automatic Multi-Barrel CIWS :The Archangel is armed with an array of 16 "Igelstellung 75mm automatic multi-barrel CIWS guns that are calibrated exceptionally well to intercept incoming missiles or lightly armored Mobile Weapons. Like the "Gottfried" beam cannons, the CIWS guns are movable to shoot down targets from several directions. ;*"Valiant Mk.8" 110 cm Linear Cannon :Each side of the ship mounts a single "Valiant Mk.8" 110cm linear cannon, which, like the positron and beam cannons are retractable. It could also operate underwater after the Archangel was altered and proved to be exceptional against underwater MS and submarines. ;*Missile Launchers :Besides energy guns and shell-firing weapons, Archangel-class ships are also equipped with a large number of missile launchers, divided into 24 x surface-to-ship missile launchers and 16 x surface-to-air missile launchers. These launchers allow the Archangel-class to fire a large number of different missile types. ;*Bridge Tower Missile Launchers :The lighter missiles, such as "Helldart" anti-aircraft missiles are loaded into and stored on tubes on the bridge tower. The light Helldart missiles are primarily used as their classification suggests, in an anti-air role, however they are generally ineffective at damaging targets with phase-shift armor. ;*Aft Missile Launchers :The stern of the Archangel-class houses two sections that project backwards directly behind its dorsal wings and directly above its engines. These launchers house the heavier missile classes, Sledgehammer anti-ship missiles and Corintoss and Wombat heavy anti-aircraft missiles. When deployed these missiles normally perform a 180° turn in a wide arc around the side of the ship and then forward towards their target. History The Archangel-class mobile assault ship was developed by the Atlantic Federation of the Earth Alliance Forces and ORB Union's Morgenroete as part of the G Project to support the mobile suits developed under the same project. The Archangel-class ships are functionally equivalent to the modern day aircraft carrier; their primary mission being to launch and recover mobile suits and mobile armors. In addition, the Archangel-class had a special tender vessel designed for it, however, only one was constructed before the destruction of Heliopolis. First Bloody Valentine War The first ship of the class, the Archangel was created at Orb's resource satellite Heliopolis, where it was rolled out on January 25, C.E. 71, under less than ideal circumstances: it was in response to ZAFT attacking Heliopolis with the intention of stealing or destroying both the Earth Alliance's newest warship (the Archangel) and the G-Weapons. Most of the primary crew of the Archangel were killed during the initial siege, which included the pilots of the G-weapons, leaving only a few lower-ranking officers and mechanics to operate the ship. As being the highest-ranking officers present, Lieutenant (later Lt. Commander) Murrue Ramius captained the ship while Natarle Badgiruel acted as the ship's Executive Officer. ZAFT succeeded in stealing four of the five prototypes and destroying two Moebius mobile armors, and although the Archangel survived the initial assault, it was left with only the Strike mobile suit and Lieutenant Mu La Flaga's Moebius Zero to defend herself. It was with the aid of Kira Yamato piloting the GAT-X105 Strike Gundam and La Flaga's Moebius Zero that the Archangel escaped Heliopolis, and began its frantic trek to the Atlantic Federation Headquarters, carrying civilian refugees along the way. The Archangel's main pursuers, the Le Creuset Team, ''would continue to trail the ship after their encounter at Heliopolis, in an attempt to sink the ship and/or the Strike. After the warship pitted at the Eurasian Base Artemis and passed through the Debris Belt, the ''Archangel linked up with Admiral Halburton's 8th Fleet in Earth Orbit. She took on-board two FX-550 Skygrasper fighters, which were compatible with the Strike's Striker Packs, while most of the civilian refugees disembarked from the ship before the Archangel's descent to Earth. On Earth, the ship plotted a course for the Atlantic Federation Base JOSH-A, which would take her through the ZAFT-controlled African Desert, across the Red Sea, through Southern Asia, and into Orb Territory. At Orb, the ship refueled and restocked for its final march towards Alaska. However, en route to the Alaskan Base, the Archangel lost the Strike and one Skygrasper in combat, but would recapture the Buster and defeat both the Aegis and Blitz. Arriving at JOSH-A, the Archangel would be partially supplied while some of its crew was reassigned: Natarle Badgiruel, Flay Allster, and Mu La Flaga were among the officers reassigned. However, ZAFT's attack on JOSH-A led the ship to protect the base's main gate, and prompted Mu La Flaga to return and defend the Archangel. Escaping the ensuing explosion generated from the base's Cyclops System, the Archangel added the stolen ZAFT mobile suit ZGMF-X10A Freedom Gundam to its complement, piloted by former Strike pilot Kira Yamato. After the Battle at Alaska, the ship return to Orb, again for needed resupply and repairs. But with the sequential fall of Porta Panama and the ongoing battle at Orb occurring closely thereafter, the Archangel returned to space via Onogoro's Mass Driver, accompanied by the Orb Union's Kusanagi and adding both the restored Strike, now piloted by Mu La Flaga, and the Freedom's sister unit, the ZGMF-X09A Justice Gundam, piloted by Athrun Zala. Now labelled as a renegade ship by the Alliance, the [[Archangel]] joined with the [[Kusanagi]]'' and the ZAFT renegade ship [[''Eternal]], led by Lacus Clyne, to form the Three Ships Alliance in the wake of the war's escalation. During this time, a second Archangel-class ship was built: the Earth Alliance/Blue Cosmos flagship, Dominion, commanded by Lt. Commander Natarle Badgiruel. Stocked with many GAT-01 Strike Dagger units, as well as the GAT-X131 Calamity Gundam, the GAT-X252 Forbidden Gundam, and the GAT-X370 Raider Gundam, the ship makes its debut on June 18 at the Mendel colony, with the singular primary task of destroying its elder ship, the Archangel. Both ships fought against one another at the Battle of Mendel, with the outcome being a stalemate and the Dominion ''retreating back to the lunar base. While the ''Archangel resupplied and prepared for the final battle, the Dominion led the Earth Alliance in a successful nuclear strike against ZAFT's base at Boaz. Both ships would once more ultimately battle when the Dominion led a subsequent nuclear attack on the PLANT's, which prompted the Archangel, along with the Kusanagi and Eternal, to intercept the fleet at the Second Battle of Jachin Due on September 26. During this climatic fight, not only did the Dominion ''lose the Calamity, Forbidden, and Raider in battle, the ''Dominion herself was destroyed by the Archangel's Lohengren. While the ship itself was severely damaged in its fight with the Dominion, the Archangel lost the Justice and Strike in combat, and retrieved the Freedom massively crippled. With the war over, the ship returned to Orb for prolonged maintenance and ship repairs. Second Bloody Valentine War After the war, the Archangel was repaired and hidden in a secret hangar at Orb. Since then, the vessel was upgraded to be an amphibious vehicle. After a failed attack by ZAFT commandos in CE 73, the Archangel left the facility, and its mobile suit complement at this point was the restored Freedom piloted by Kira Yamato, the MBF-02 Strike Rouge Gundam piloted by Flay Allster, MBF-03 Rosso Aegis Gundam piloted by Cagalli Yula Athha, and several MVF-M11C Murasame. Later that year, the Archangel intervened in battles between the ZAFT battleship [[Minerva]] and a joint Earth Alliance/Orb Union task force near the Dardanelles. After the second battle, six more MVF-M11C Murasame from the Orb aircraft carrier [[Takemikazuchi]] defected to the Archangel. They would later participate in the battle of Berlin. However, shortly after the release of the information on the shady group 'LOGOS' being the true warmongers of human civilization, ZAFT issued orders to destroy the Archangel, called Operation: "Angel Down". Being pursued by a team under Commander Willard and ultimately the Minerva, its mainstay mobile suit the Freedom was destroyed by the Impulse, and its outer hull was damaged by the Minerva's Tannhäuser main cannon. :